Improvement in machines for cutting trees and logs



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

vWILLIAM ACKERMAN, OF FIIINT, MICHIGAN.

IMPROVEMENT IN MACHINES FOR CUTTING TREES AND LOGS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 34,933, dated April i5,1862.

To all whom t Ina/y con/cern.'

Be it known that I, WILLIAM ACKERMAN, of Flint, in the county of Geneseeand State of Michigan, have invented a new and Improved Machine forCutting Trees and Logs; and I do hereby declare the following to be afull and exact description of the same, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, making part of this` specification, in whichFigure l is a plan or top view of the machine. Fig. 2 is a sideelevation of the same, with part of the internal mechanism exposed. Fig.3 is a rear elevation of the same.

Similar letters of reference indicate correspondin g parts in all thefigures.

The subject of my said invention is a machine having arotary cutter journaled in a sliding` frame which receives an advance movementsimultaneously with the rotation of the cutter.

To enable those skilled in the art to Inake and use my invention I willproceed to describe its construction and operation.

A is the main frame or bed of the machine supported on legs B B.

C is a frame adapted to slide longitudinally Within the frame A insuitable Ways.

D is a shaft journaled longitudinally in standards E F at each end ofthe sliding.

frame C.

G is a conical cutting-head formed of a number of tapering blades g g gand mounted upon the projecting front end of the shaft D.

H is a shaft journaled transversely in the bed A, beneath the slidingframe C, and carrying pinions h 7L, Which takefinto racks c, attached tothe said sliding frame.

I is a crown gear-Wheel, which is also mounted upon the transverse shaftII, and has near its periphery upon its inn'er face oblique teeth i,which gear with longitudinal ribs (Z upon the cutter-shaft D, so as toimpart rotation thereto.

.I J are cranks by which the shaft II may be rotated.

K K are brace hooks or grapples by means of which the machine may beattached to a tree or any other object upon which it is desired tooperate.

A stationary standard may be applied to the front end of the bed tosustain the downward pressure exerted by the Wheel I upon Athe shaft D,and thus lessen the friction of the frame C in its Ways.

The manner of using the machine is as follows: To cut down a tree, themachine is set with its front end as near as possible thereto andsecured by means of the stays K. The shaft I-I is then rotated by meansof the cranks .I in the direction shown bythe arrows. The cogs t,gearing with the ribs (l on the shaft D, impart a rapid rotation to thecutting-head G, (see arreW,) and at the same time the pinions 7L,gearing with the racks c, gradually advance the frame C and with it thehead G. By this means the cutter may be passed completely through thetree, suiiicient Wood being left on either or both sides to prevent thekerf closing and binding on the cutter.

If the tree be of sufficient diameter in proportion to the cutter, thelatter u ill be passed through the center of the tree, leaving a band ofWood on each side, to be afterward severed by means of an ax. If thetree be not of sufficient size to. render this practicable, the machineWill be so applied as to completely sever the opposite side from thattoward which the tree leans, so that the kerf will tend to open ratherthan close, and the Work of the machine being done an ax is employed tosever the remaining portion on the leaning side.

In Fig. 2 the sliding'frame is shown in its retracted positionpreparatory to beginning operations. advanced in the position reachedvwhen the cutter has progressed some distance into the tree.

The rear standard F is made of considerable height and in the form of ayoke, as clearly shown in Fig. in order to permit the frame C to advanceto a greater extent Without coming in contact with the wheel I. The rearend of the shaft D is journaled in a hangerj, depending from thestandard J.

To render the machine portable it is intended to secure its variousparts together with bolts, so that they may readily be taken apart.

To adapt the machine for operating upon various kinds of Wood, shafts D,of various diameters, will be employed. Thus when the timber is hard asmaller shaft will be em'- ployed, so that the cutter may be made torotate more rapidly in proportion to the feed- In Fig. l it is shownpartially motion of the sliding frame. A shaft of large size maybe madeof cast-iron, and one of small size of Wrought-iron or east-steel, togive it greater strength. I do not, however, desire to be understood asrestricting myself to anyA specic materials for this or other parts ofthe machine.

To adapt the machine to Work on unlevel ground or upon a hillside thelegs may be jointed, so as to admit of setting the machine at any heightor inclination desired. By this means, also, the machine may be loweredfor the purpose of cutting logs which are lower than the bed of themachine.

Pinions h, of different sizes, may, if pre-- ferred, be used instead ofdifferent sized shafts D, to Vary the speed of the cutter.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim therein as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is

The combination of the crank-shaft H h, gear-Wheel I, sliding frame C cE F, ribbed shaft D, and rotary cutter G, constructed, arranged, andoperating substantially as and Vfor the purposes explained.

VILLIAM ACKERMAN.

VitIiesses':

OCTAVIUS KNIGHT, J. A. GAUBERSCHMIDT.

